JP6759111B2 - Methods performed by mobile lawn mower robots, methods performed by beacons, and lawn mower systems - Google Patents

Description

Priority claim

This application claims the priority of US Application No. 14 / 807,485, entitled "Beacon and Mobile Robot Pairing", filed July 23, 2015, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Be incorporated.

This specification generally relates to the pairing of a beacon and a mobile robot.

A lawn mowing robot can navigate in an environment and mow a limited area of the environment. The robot can determine the position in the environment by detecting the beacon in the environment. The beacon can be a passive beacon that reflects a signal emitted by the robot or an active beacon that emits a signal detected by the robot. The robot can use these signals from the beacon to limit the movement of the robot to a limited area within the environment and / or allow systematic coverage of the grass area.

In some examples, the method performed by a mobile lawn mower robot involves pairing a beacon with a mobile lawn mower robot. Pairing the beacon with the mobile lawnmower robot determines the distance between the beacon and the mobile lawnmower robot, and the beacon pairs from the mobile lawnmower robot based on a comparison of the determined distance with the pairing distance. Includes making sure you are within distance. Pairing the beacon with the mobile mowing robot means pairing the beacon with the mobile mowing robot after confirming that the beacon is within the pairing distance from the mobile mowing robot, and after pairing, from the beacon. It further includes detecting a wideband signal or an ultrawide band signal and enabling navigation in a region using the wideband signal or the ultrawide band signal.

In some examples, the method performed by the mobile lawn mower outputs a request for confirmation via the user interface that the beacon is contained in multiple beacons with which the mobile lawn mower should communicate. It may include that. The method performed by the mobile lawn mower may include, in response to a request, receiving confirmation that the beacon is contained in a plurality of beacons with which the mobile lawn mower should communicate. Pairing may be performed after receipt of confirmation.

In some examples, pairing the beacon with the mobile lawn mower robot may include identifying the broadcast from the beacon before determining the distance between the beacon and the mobile lawn mower robot. The broadcast may include the beacon address of the beacon and a predetermined address that is not unique to any beacon. Pairing the beacon with the mobile lawn mower robot may include sending the robot address of the mobile lawn mower robot to the beacon at the beacon address in response to the broadcast. Pairing the beacon with a mobile lawn mower robot may include receiving a message from the beacon. The distance between the beacon and the mobile lawn mowing robot may be determined using a message. Pairing a beacon with a mobile lawnmower robot associates the beacon address with one or more other addresses of one or more other beacons that are paired with the mobile lawnmower robot, and the memory of the mobile lawnmower robot. It may further include storing in. Pairing the beacon with the mobile lawn mower robot may further include outputting a request to move the beacon towards the mobile lawn mower robot. The message from the beacon may be received after the output of the request to move the beacon.

The method performed by the mobile lawn mower robot may further include transmitting the beacon address to one or more other beacons after pairing. The method performed by the mobile lawn mower robot may further include transmitting to the beacon one or more other addresses of one or more other beacons. The method performed by the mobile lawn mower robot may include sending a beacon address and a robot address to a server for storage associated with a user account. The method performed by the mobile lawn mower robot may include identifying the error associated with the beacon and outputting an error indication via the user interface. The user interface may include functionality to indicate that the error has been addressed by exchanging beacons. The method performed by the mobile lawn mower robot is to have the mobile lawn mower robot listen to a given address that is not specific to any beacon in response to an instruction that the error has been addressed by exchanging beacons. Further may be included.

In some examples, the method performed by the mobile lawnmower may include receiving a passcode from a beacon and comparing the passcode with the passcode associated with the mobile lawnmower. Pairing may be performed after verifying that the passcode from the beacon matches the passcode associated with the mobile lawn mower robot.

In some examples, the method performed by the beacon to pair the beacon with the mobile lawn mower robot involves outputting a broadcast to the mobile lawn mower robot. The broadcast includes the beacon address of the beacon and a predetermined address that is not unique to any beacon. The method performed by the beacon involves receiving the robot address of the mobile lawn mower from the mobile lawn mower robot after the broadcast. The method performed by the beacon involves outputting a message from the beacon to a mobile lawn mower robot at the robot address. The distance between the beacon and the mobile lawn mowing robot is determined using a message. The method performed by the beacon involves receiving confirmation from the mobile lawn mower robot that the beacon has been paired with the mobile lawn mower robot. The method performed by the beacon involves registering the beacon as paired with a mobile lawn mower robot in response to confirmation.

In some examples, registration may include storing the robot address of the mobile lawn mower robot in beacon memory.

In some examples, the method performed by the beacon receives one or more other addresses of one or more other beacons paired with a mobile lawn mower robot and one or more other addresses of the beacon. It may include saving to memory. One or more other addresses may be received from the mobile lawn mower robot after registration.

In some examples, the lawn mowing system includes multiple beacons for emitting wideband or ultrawideband signals. Each beacon has a different associated beacon address and robot address stored in memory. The lawn mowing system includes a mobile lawn mowing robot associated with a robot address. The mobile lawn mower robot is paired with each of a plurality of beacons. Mobile lawnmower robots include memory. The memory stores actionable instructions and different associated beacon addresses for each of the plurality of beacons. A mobile lawn mower robot includes one or more processing devices for executing instructions and performing steps. The process receives a broadband signal or ultra-wide band signal representing the beacon address, and the received broadband signal or ultra-wide band signal is paired with the mobile lawn mowing robot based on the beacon address represented by the broadband signal or ultra-wide band signal. Includes determining if it is associated with one of a plurality of beacons and locating a mobile mowing robot based on a received broadband or ultra-wideband signal.

In some examples, the process may include adding additional beacons to a plurality of beacons paired with a mobile lawn mower robot. The mobile lawn mower robot may be configured to detect a wideband or ultra-wideband signal and use the wideband or ultra-wideband signal to enable navigation in a region. The process for adding an additional beacon to a plurality of beacons may include identifying a broadcast from the additional beacon. The broadcast may include an additional beacon address of the additional beacon and a predetermined address that is not unique to any beacon. The process may include transmitting the robot address to the extension beacon at the extension beacon address in response to the broadcast. The process may include receiving from the extension beacon a message used to determine the distance between the extension beacon and the mobile lawn mower robot. The process may include comparing the distance with a predetermined distance. The process may include registering the extension beacon as paired with a mobile lawn mower robot if the distance is less than a predetermined distance.

The extension beacon may include a memory for storing executable instructions and one or more processing devices for executing the instructions to perform the process. The process may include outputting a broadcast to the mobile lawn mower robot. The process may include receiving a robot address from the mobile lawn mowing robot and outputting a message to the mobile lawn mowing robot at the robot address. The process receives confirmation from the mobile lawn mower robot that the additional beacon has been paired with the mobile lawn mower robot, and in response to the confirmation, registers the additional beacon as paired with the mobile lawn mower robot. It may be included.

The step of adding the additional beacon to the plurality of beacons may include outputting a request for confirmation that the additional beacon is included in the plurality of beacons with which the mobile lawn mower robot should communicate. The process may include, in response to a request, receiving confirmation that the additional beacon is included in a plurality of beacons with which the mobile lawnmower robot should communicate. Registration may be performed after receipt of confirmation. Registration may include associating additional beacon addresses with different associated beacon addresses and storing them in the memory of the mobile lawn mower robot.

The step of adding the additional beacon to the plurality of beacons may include outputting a request to move the additional beacon toward the mobile lawn mower robot. The message from the extension beacon may be received after the output of the request to move the extension beacon.

The process for adding an additional beacon to the plurality of beacons may include transmitting the additional beacon address to the plurality of beacons after registration. The process may include transmitting different associated beacon addresses to the extension beacons after registration.

The process of adding additional beacons to multiple beacons paired with a mobile lawn mower robot further includes identifying errors associated with the beacons and outputting error instructions via the user interface. good. The user interface may include functionality to indicate that the error has been addressed by exchanging beacons. The process may further include causing the mobile lawnmower robot to listen to a predetermined address that is not specific to any beacon in response to an instruction that the error has been addressed by exchanging beacons.

The step of adding an extra beacon to a plurality of beacons paired with a mobile lawnmower robot may further include sending the extra beacon address and the robot address to the server for storage associated with the user account. ..

In some examples, the lawn mowing system includes a set of beacons and a mobile lawn mowing robot. A set of beacons includes a first beacon having a first beacon address and a robot address stored in memory. The first beacon is configured to emit a broadband signal or an ultra-wideband signal including the first beacon address. A set of beacons includes a second beacon stored in memory that has a second beacon address and a robot address that are different from the first beacon address. The second beacon is configured to emit a broadband signal or an ultra-wideband signal including the second beacon address. A set of beacons includes a third beacon stored in memory that has a third beacon address and a robot address that are different from the first and second beacon addresses. The third beacon is configured to emit a broadband signal or an ultra-wideband signal including the third beacon address. The mobile lawn mower robot is paired with each of the first, second and third beacons. Mobile lawnmower robots include memory. The memory stores actionable instructions and first, second and third beacon addresses. A mobile lawn mower robot includes one or more processing devices for executing instructions and performing steps. The steps include receiving a broadband or ultra-wideband signal and locating the mobile lawnmower robot based on the broadband or ultra-wideband signal received from at least one of the first, second and third beacons. ..

Advantages of the above example may include, but are not limited to: Each beacon can be paired exclusively with a mobile lawn mower robot. As a result, nearby mobile lawn mowing robots that are not paired with the beacon cannot navigate and mow the lawn using the signals emitted by the beacon. Pairing can make beacons unattractive to those who intend to thief. For example, by requiring a passcode to pair a beacon with a mobile lawn mower robot, the paired beacon will only be useful to those who know the passcode. As a result, the number of theft cases can be reduced.

By combining the two or more features described herein, including those described in the overview, embodiments not specifically described herein can be constructed.

The mobile lawnmower robot described herein or aspects of its operation are stored in one or more non-temporary machine-readable storage media and run on one or more processing devices as described herein. It can include, or can be controlled by, one or more computer program products, including instructions that allow control of the process (eg, linkage). The mobile lawn mower robot described herein or aspects of its operation are part of a system or method that may include one or more processing devices and a memory that stores actionable instructions for performing various operations. Can be implemented as.

One or more embodiments are described in the accompanying drawings and in detail below. Other features and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description, drawings and claims.

FIG. 1A shows a first mobile lawn mowing robot and a plurality of first beacons located on the first lawn, and a second mobile lawn mowing robot and a plurality of second beacons located on the second lawn. FIG. 1B shows a mobile robot and a beacon located on a lawn. FIG. 2 is a side view of one of the first mobile lawn mower robot and the plurality of first beacons. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the mobile lawn mower robot. FIG. 4 is a front sectional view of the beacon showing the components in the beacon in a block diagram. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a network including a mobile lawn mower robot, a server, a set of beacons and a user device. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process for pairing a mobile lawn mower robot with a beacon. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a process for exchanging addresses between the mobile lawn mower robot and the beacon. FIG. 8 shows a mobile lawn mower robot and a beacon paired with the mobile lawn mower robot. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a process for registering a pairing between a mobile lawn mowing robot and a beacon and transmitting an address to another beacon. FIG. 10 shows a user device displaying a pairing approval request. FIG. 11 is a diagram conceptually showing communication between a mobile robot, a paired beacon, and a new beacon. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the process of confirming the passcode. FIG. 13 shows a user device displaying a passcode request. FIG. 14 is a top view of a mobile lawn mowing robot that navigates the lawn using a beacon arranged on the lawn. FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a process for detecting a beacon error and dealing with the beacon error. FIG. 16 shows a user device that displays beacon battery level status update information. FIG. 17 shows a user device that prompts for action on a beacon-related error.

Similar symbols in different figures represent similar elements.

In the present specification, a mobile lawn mower robot that moves a mowable surface such as a lawn, a field, and other mowing areas to perform various mowing operations including, but is not limited to, mowing the lawn of the lawn. An example (hereinafter, also referred to as “robot”) will be described. In addition, the present specification describes a beacon that can communicate with the robot and enables the robot to navigate on the lawn. In some examples, the beacon can be paired exclusively with one or more robots so that only the robot paired with the beacon can be localized to that beacon. The pairing process between the robot and the beacon is described herein. After the pairing step is performed and the robot is paired with the corresponding beacon set, the robot can navigate using the broadband or ultra-wideband signals emitted by the beacons contained in the corresponding beacon set.

FIG. 1A shows an environment 104 including a first turf 106 and a second turf 108. The first mobile lawn mowing robot 100 (referred to as "first robot 100") is configured to perform lawn mowing work while navigating the lawn 106. The second mobile lawn mowing robot 102 (referred to as “second robot 102”) is configured to perform lawn mowing work while navigating the lawn 108. Robots 100, 102 each include a control system that may include one or more processing devices or control devices programmed to control robot movements. Each robot control system is programmed to pair robots 100, 102 with a corresponding set of beacons. For example, the robot 100 is paired with beacons 110a, 110b and 110c (beacon 110) on the sod 106, and the robot 102 is paired with beacons 112a, 112b, 112c and 112d (beacon 112) on the sod 108. .. Beacons 110, 112 also include a control system, which may include one or more processing or control devices programmed to control the operation of the beacon, including the steps of communicating and pairing with the robots 100, 102, respectively.

In this regard, pairing is to prevent the robot from recognizing only the signals from the paired beacons and not the signals from the beacons that are not paired with the robot for navigation and positioning. Includes establishing a relationship between the robot and the paired beacon. During the production of beacons and robots, the robot and three or more beacons may be paired with each other. Therefore, when the user receives the beacon and the robot, the beacon can be immediately placed on the sod without performing the pairing operation of pairing the beacon with the robot. After the user trains the robot to recognize the corresponding sod boundary using the signal emitted by the paired beacon, the robot uses the signal from the paired beacon as it navigates the sod. Can automatically identify boundaries (eg, without user input).

For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, the robot 100 uses the beacon 110 to identify the boundaries of the corresponding turf 106, and the robot 102 uses the beacon 112 to identify the boundaries of the corresponding turf 108. Information about the turf boundary is determined during the user-assisted boundary teaching operation. Information about the turf boundary is stored in the robot's memory. In combination with the beacon signal, the information about the sod boundary allows the robot to automatically navigate the sod without crossing the sod boundary.

Since different robots are paired with different beacon pairs, signals from unpaired beacons do not affect robot behavior. In some embodiments, the signal transmitted between the robot and the paired beacon includes a broadband signal or an ultra-wideband signal. Broadband signals can include high frequency signals with frequencies between 5925 MHz and 7250 MHz. Ultra-wideband signals may include high frequency signals having frequencies higher than 500 Hz, such as frequencies between 3.1 GHz and 10.6 GHz.

In some situations, it may be necessary to replace the beacons contained in a set of beacons or add beacons to a set of beacons already assigned to the system. During the lawn mowing operation, the robot uses signals from beacons to accurately estimate its position in the lawn. If the beacon fails or becomes unavailable and the robot is unable to detect a sufficient number of signals during the mowing operation, the user may need to replace the beacon. In some cases, it may be necessary to add beacons to a set of beacons placed on the turf. For example, as shown in FIG. 1B, during navigation, the robot 120 may navigate the turf 122 using beacons 124a, 124b, 124c paired with the robot 120. When the robot 120 enters a portion 128 of the sod 122, the robot 120 emits a signal 125 a radio signal 125 that may be blocked or attenuated by the house 126 as it travels towards the portion 126, a signal from the beacon 124a. May receive a signal that cannot be detected or has insufficient strength. The user may want to add a beacon capable of emitting a radio signal that can be detected by the robot 120 at portion 128. The addition of a new beacon located at portion 126 to the set of beacons 124a, 124b, 124c paired with the robot 120 can improve the accuracy of estimating the position of the robot within portion 126.

In the example of FIG. 1A, the second robot 102 can be configured not to communicate with a beacon that is not paired with the second robot 102. For example, the second robot 102 can be configured not to communicate with the first beacon 110 that is not paired with the second robot 102. Similarly, the first robot 100 that is not paired with the second beacon 112 can be configured not to communicate with the second beacon 112.

The environment 104 also includes a beacon 114 that is not paired with the first robot 100 or the second robot 102. The beacon 114 is within the communication range of both the robot 100 and the robot 102 (for example, the robots 100 and 102 can detect a broadband signal or an ultra-wideband signal emitted by the beacon 114), and the method described herein. Can be paired with any of these robots using. For example, the first robot 100 can add the beacon 114 to the set of beacons that have already been paired with the robot 100. Beacon 114 can replace the existing beacon or increase the number of existing beacons to improve the accuracy of positioning and navigation of the first robot 100. For example, the robot may not be able to detect signals from the three beacons at a location on the turf 106, or the signal from one of the three beacons may be weak in that area. As described above, in order to provide the robot 100 with a better beacon signal from that region, the beacon 114 may be added to that region of the turf and paired with the robot 100. Examples of steps for pairing a beacon, such as Beacon 114, with a robot are described herein.

As described herein, the new beacon 114 can be configured to be pairable only with a robot within a pairing distance of 118 from the position of the new beacon 114. In this regard, in order to pair the new beacon 114 with the first robot 100, as shown in FIG. 2, the user 116 is at a distance 200 on the first turf 106 within the pairing distance 118. One robot 100 can be arranged. When the first robot 100 identifies the broadcast from the new beacon 114, the first robot 100 can use the control system of the first robot 100 to determine the distance between the first robot 100 and the new beacon 114. Can be received. If the distance 200 is shorter than the pairing distance 118, the control system can allow the new beacon 114 to pair with the first robot 100.

As described herein, in robots 100, 102, robots 100, 102 navigate in an environment 104, perform lawn mowing work on turf 106, 108, and beacons (eg, first beacon 110, th. (Ii) A system that enables communication with the beacon 112 and the beacon 114) may be included. FIG. 3 shows a bottom surface 301 of an example of a robot 300, including a system suitable for performing the operations described herein. An example of the robot 300 includes drive wheels 302a and 302b that are driven by a motor (not shown) to move the robot 300 on surfaces (eg, first turf 106, second turf 108). The caster wheels 304a, 304b and the drive wheels 302a, 302b support the chassis 305 of the robot 300 on the surface. The robot 300 further includes a lawnmower capable of cutting grass on the surface by rotating it.

The robot 300 has a control device 308 (eg, an electronic processor or one or more suitable processing devices) capable of executing stored instructions to perform navigation, lawn mowing, and communication operations of the robot 300. Including.

The communication system 310 that can be operated by the controller 308 may include a wireless transmitter / receiver that allows the controller 308 to wirelessly communicate with other devices in the environment, such as a beacon, such as a broadband or ultra-wideband wireless transmitter / receiver. .. The communication system 310 allows the steps performed by the communication system 310, in particular the control device 308, to communicate with the beacon to pair the robot 300 with the appropriate beacon or set of beacons. The communication system 310 also allows the robot 300 to receive wideband or ultrawideband signals from the beacon so that the robot 300 can use those signals to navigate the environment and locate in the environment. To. The communication system 310 may include an additional radio transmitter / receiver that allows the controller 308 to communicate using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, or other radio protocols. The wireless transmitter / receiver allows the control device 308 to communicate with remote systems such as smartphones, tablets, desktop and laptop computers, and servers. The memory 312, which can access the control device 308, stores information locally in the robot.

In some embodiments, the robot 300 may include motion sensors that generate motion signals that indicate at least one of the robot's travel distance, robot's velocity, or robot's acceleration. The motion sensor can also detect relative rotations around all axes (eg, IMU). In some cases, the controller 308 uses motion signals in addition to the use of the positioning techniques described herein in connection with the beacon to allow the robot 300 to estimate its position in the environment. Available Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) techniques can be performed. The control device 308 can generate a map of the environment based on the motion signal and determine the posture of the robot. The motion signal may include, for example, data from an encoder, optical mouse sensor, inertial measurement unit (IMU), accelerometer, or gyroscope mounted on the robot and associated with the driving wheels of the robot. The motion signal data can be used as estimated navigation data used by the control device 308 to determine the relative position of the robot. Therefore, when the robot 300 navigates in the environment, the control device 308 can determine the relative position of the robot 300 measured with respect to the position in front of the robot 300 by using the motion signal. Estimated navigation is accurate at relatively short distances, but is prone to drift errors that accumulate over time. The accumulated drift can affect both distance and direction calculations.

The beacons described herein include a system for performing communication and pairing with a robot. FIG. 4 is a front schematic view of an example of Beacon 400 including a suitable system for supporting communication and pairing operations. The beacon 400 can be attached to a stake 402 that can be placed on the turf so that the position of the beacon 400 is fixed in the environment. In some embodiments, the beacon 400 may include an adhesive that can be attached to an existing structure (eg, a side of a house, a fence post, or a tree) in an outdoor environment. Control device 404 of beacon 400 (eg, an electronic processor or one or more other suitable processing devices) can control communication system 406 of beacon 400. The communication system 406 may include a radio transmitter / receiver capable of emitting a radio signal such as a broadband signal or an ultra-wideband signal in the environment. The communication system 406 can also use a wireless transmitter / receiver to receive a wireless signal emitted into the environment by, for example, the robot 300.

The control device 404 can control the communication system 406 to emit radio signals for different purposes and functions. For example, during the pairing process of pairing the robot 300 with the beacon 400, the communication system 406 can be controlled to emit a broadcast that allows the robot 300 to identify and initiate pairing with the beacon 400. .. The communication system 406 can be controlled so that the control device 308 of the robot 300 transmits a message that can be used to determine the distance (eg, distance 200) between the robot 300 and the beacon 400. During the navigation and mowing work of the robot 300, the beacon 400 can emit a radio signal that the robot 300 uses to locate in the environment. Memory 408, accessible to controller 404, allows local storage of information.

Beacon 400 may also include an interchangeable power source 410 (eg, a battery) that powers various systems of Beacon 400. The control device 404 can monitor the electric energy of the power supply 410. The communication system 406 can transmit state update information regarding the electric energy of the power supply 410.

As shown in the block diagram shown in FIG. 5, the robot 300 and the beacon 400 can be part of the network 500 of devices. Devices within network 500 can communicate with other devices within the network using one or more radio protocols or radio technologies. The communication system 310 of the robot 300 enables the robot 300 to wirelessly communicate with the server 505, the user device 510 (eg, a portable device, a smartphone, a computer), and the beacon 400. The network 500 may also include other beacons 515 paired with the robot 300. The communication system 310 can communicate with the server 505 using, for example, a Wi-Fi transmitter / receiver. As described herein, communication system 310 can communicate with communication system 406 of beacon 400 using wideband or ultra-wideband signals. The memory 312 of the robot 300 and the memory 408 of the beacon 400 can store information related to the pairing operation such as an address, a passcode, and other identification information. The memories 312 and 408 can also store instructions for performing pairing between the robot 300 and the beacon 400, which can be performed by the control devices 308 and 404, respectively. The robot memory 312 can also store information that identifies the beacon paired with the robot 300 and information generated during training or teaching operations such as the boundary teaching operations described herein.

The memory 312 and the beacon memory 408 can store various information transmitted through the network 500. The memory 312 can store the robot address 520 unique to the robot 300. The robot address 520 is a unique identifier (for example, serial number) of the robot 300 that can be transmitted by a radio signal (for example, a wide band signal or an ultra wide band signal) generated by the communication system 310. The memory 408 of the beacon 400 can also store the robot address 520 when the robot 300 is paired with the beacon 400. The memory 408 allows the beacon 400 to be uniquely paired with the robot 300 by storing the robot address 520, as described in more detail herein.

The memory 408 of the beacon 400 stores a beacon address 525 unique to the beacon 400. Like the robot address 520, the beacon address 525 is an identifier unique to the beacon 400. Beacon 400 can transmit the beacon address 525 using wireless transmission by communication system 406. When the robot 300 is paired with the beacon 400, the memory 312 can store the beacon address 525. Memory 312 allows the robot 300 to be paired with the beacon 400 by storing the beacon address 525, which, as described in more detail herein, during navigation and lawn mowing operations. Allows 300 to communicate with beacon 400.

Both the robot 300 and the beacon 400 can store a predetermined address that is not unique to any beacon or robot. During the pairing process, the communication system 310 and the communication system 406 can communicate with each other using predetermined addresses before the robot 300 receives the beacon address 525 and the beacon 400 receives the robot address 520.

The passcode 530 can be stored in both the memory 312 of the robot 300 and the memory 408 of the beacon 400. As described herein, when pairing the beacon 400 with another robot, a passcode 530 may be used, for example, of another robot to allow the other robot to be paired with the beacon 400. Can be entered in the user interface.

The other beacon 515 forms part of a set of beacons that have already been paired with the robot 300. For example, these beacons may have been previously paired with the robot by the user or during the robot and beacon manufacturing phase. Each of the other beacons 515 includes a beacon address. Each of the other beacons 515 includes a memory for storing a unique beacon address. The memory 408 can store the beacon address 535 of the other beacon 515 so that the other beacon is paired exclusively with the robot 300. During the pairing process, the control device 308 can cause the communication system 310 to transmit the beacon address 535 to each of the other beacons paired with the robot 300. As a result, the memory of the other beacon 515 and the memory 408 of the beacon 400 can also store the other beacon address 535. The memory of the other beacon 515 can also store the passcode 530.

In some embodiments, the server 505 can store the robot address 520, beacon address 525, passcode 530, and other beacon address 535 in the memory associated with the user account 540. The robot 300 can transmit the information stored in the user account 540 by communicating with the server 505 using the communication system 310. The information stored in the user account 540 can serve as a backup to storage devices elsewhere on the network.

Users can interact with the user interface 545 to control the movements of the robot 300 (eg, pairing, navigation and lawn mowing operations). The user device 510 can communicate with the communication system 310 of the robot 300 using, for example, Bluetooth® or a Wi-Fi connection. The user can additionally or alternatively use the user device 510 to view and input information regarding the operation of the robot 300. As described herein, the user activates user interface 545 and / or user device 510 to identify, for example, various steps associated with pairing the robot 300 with the beacon 400 and to perform pairing. You can enter the passcode 530 to allow execution. The user can also use the robot 300 user interface 545 or the user device 510 to view and respond to errors and requests transmitted by the robot 300 communication system 310.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of an example of the pairing process 600 in which the robot 604 (for example, the robot 300) is paired with the beacon 606 (for example, the beacon 400). Each step described with respect to process 600 may include one or more steps. Process 600 includes a beacon activation step 608 that activates the beacon 606. The user 602 can activate the beacon, for example, by supplying power to the beacon 606, turning on the beacon 606, or starting the broadcast or pairing mode of the beacon 606. The beacon 606 may include a button that allows the user to switch on the beacon 606. In some cases, the beacon 606 may optionally or additionally include a button for initiating a broadcast or pairing mode.

Beacon 606 can then determine (610) whether the existing robot address is stored in the memory of Beacon 606. In some cases, the existing address is the address of the robot 604, and the process 600 ends because the robot 604 is already paired with the beacon 606. When the beacon 606 determines (612) that the existing address is stored in the memory and the existing address is not the address of the robot 604, the passcode approval step 614 in which the beacon 606 and the robot 604 request the approval of the passcode is started. Will be done. Execution of passcode approval step 614 indicates that beacon 606 was previously paired with a robot that is not robot 604. The passcode approval step 614 reduces the occurrence of theft and allows a person who knows the passcode to reuse a previously paired beacon. A user may want to reuse a beacon that was previously paired with an old robot and pair it with a new robot. For example, user 602 may have received a new robot (eg, robot 604) that replaces the old robot previously owned by user 602. When the user 602 paired the old robot with the beacon 606, he entered the passcode stored in the memory of the beacon 606, or the old robot and the beacon 606 were paired (eg, by the user or at the manufacturing stage). You may have received the passcode associated with your old robot, which was automatically stored on Beacon 606 when it was ringed. If the passcode entered by the user 602 matches the passcode associated with the beacon 606, the pairing process 600 can be continued to pair the beacon 606 with the robot 604. User 602 can enter a passcode into the user interface (eg, the user interface of user device 510 or robot 604). A more detailed example of the passcode approval step 614 is described herein with reference to FIG.

If the beacon 606 determines (616) that the existing address is not stored in the memory of the beacon 606, the beacon and robot address exchange step 618 is executed. In the exchange step 618, the beacon 606 receives the robot address uniquely associated with the robot 604, and the robot 604 receives the beacon address uniquely associated with the beacon 606. After the replacement step 618, a distance confirmation step 620 is performed in which the robot 604 is placed within a pairing distance (eg, pairing distance 118) from the beacon 606. The pairing distance 118 can be, for example, 0 to 3 meters. The user 602 may adjust the position of the robot 604 or the beacon 606 to ensure that the robot 604 is within a pairing distance from the beacon 606. Details of the beacon and robot address exchange step 618 and the distance confirmation step 620 will be described herein with reference to FIG.

After the distance confirmation step 620, the pairing approval step 622 is executed. The robot 604 can output a request for approval of pairing between the robot 604 and the beacon 606 through the user interface. If the user does not approve the pairing (624), the robot 604 can further output an approval request to approve the pairing (622). In some embodiments, if the user 602 is not willing to pair the beacon 606 with the robot 604, the user 602 can end the pairing process 600 in step 624. The user 602 may be trying to pair another beacon with the robot 604, and can restart the pairing process 600 for the other beacon.

When the user approves the pairing (628), the address registration step 630 is started in which the beacon 606 stores the robot address in the memory of the beacon 606 and the robot 604 stores the beacon address in the memory of the robot 604. During the address registration step 630, the server receives the beacon address and the robot address and can store those addresses in the user accounts associated with the user 602 and the robot 604.

After executing the address registration step 630, the robot 604 determines (632) whether or not there is an address of another paired beacon stored in the memory of the robot 604. When the robot 604 determines (634) that the memory of the robot 604 contains the addresses of other paired beacons, the address transmission step 636 is executed. In this case, the beacon 606 is an extension beacon that is added to the existing paired set of beacons. Therefore, these steps are steps for adding the beacon 606 to the set of beacons paired with the robot 604. During the address transmission step 636, the beacon address of the beacon 606 is transmitted to each of the other paired beacons and stored in their memory. The addresses of other paired beacons are also transmitted to the beacon 606 and stored in the memory of the beacon 606.

If the robot 604 determines (638) that the memory of the robot 604 does not contain the address of another paired beacon, the address transmission step 636 is not executed and the process 600 sets the additional beacon to the robot 604. The process proceeds to step 640 for determining whether to pair (640). The pairing approval step 622, the address registration step 630, the address transmission step 636, and the intermediate steps will be described in more detail with respect to FIG.

When the user determines (642) that the additional beacon is paired with the robot 604, the process 600 starting from the beacon activation step 608 of the additional beacon can be restarted for the additional beacon. When the user determines (644) that the additional beacon is not paired with the robot 604, the process 600 ends (646).

After the user 602 establishes a pairing with the robot 604 in the beacon set, the user 602 can train the robot 604 to recognize the boundaries of the sod to be mowed. As an example, as shown in FIG. 1A, a process 600 for the user 116 to train the first robot 100 to recognize the boundary of the first turf 106, for example, to pair the beacon 114 with the first robot 100. The boundary teaching operation can be executed after the above is performed. The first beacon 110 and the beacon 114 therefore constitute a set of beacons paired with the robot 100.

The user 116 can manually define the boundary by pushing the first robot 100 so that the first robot 100 moves along the trajectory along the boundary of the first turf 106. The user 116 can manually navigate the first robot 100 by using, for example, a handle attached to the first robot 100. When the first robot 100 moves around the boundary of the first turf 106, the communication system 310 receives a broadband signal or an ultra-wideband signal from the first beacon 110 and the beacon 114. The control device 308 can store the Time-of-Flight information of the wideband signal or the ultra-wideband signal to locate and store the boundary of the first turf 106, thereby completing the boundary teaching process. ..

Once the boundary is taught, the first robot 100 navigates in the first turf and identifies its position in the environment 104 using the broadband and ultra-wideband signals from the first beacon 110 and beacon 114. Can be done. The first robot 100 can automatically perform the mowing operation of mowing the lawn on the first lawn 106, for example, without further intervention of the user 116.

During the navigation and mowing work in the first lawn 106, the first robot 100 monitors the electric energy of the beacon paired with the first robot 100, and a beacon (for example, the first beacon 110) is monitored. The user 116 can be notified when one of them or the beacon 114) needs to be replaced or its power supply needs to be replaced. An example of coping with beacon monitoring and errors detected by beacon monitoring will be described in more detail with respect to the flowchart of FIG.

7 to 13 show specific examples of the pairing process and the communication process described in the present specification with respect to the process 600 of FIG. 6, for example.

Referring to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, process 700 includes various steps that may be part of the beacon and robot address exchange step 618 and distance confirmation step 620 of process 600. The process 700 includes a user process 702 performed by the user 602, a robot process 704 performed by the robot 604, and a beacon process 706 performed by the beacon 606.

The step of the process 700 occurs when the beacon 606 determines (616) that the existing robot address is not stored in the memory of the beacon 606 during the determination step 610. Beacon 606 outputs (708) a broadcast of the beacon address to a predetermined address. The beacon address is a unique identifier stored in the memory of the beacon 606 associated with the beacon 606. A predetermined address can also be stored in the memory of the beacon 606. The given address is not associated with any beacon or robot. Thus, the broadcast may include the beacon address of beacon 606 and a predetermined address that is not unique to any beacon or robot. The broadcast output by the beacon 606 can be transmitted using a wideband signal or an ultrawideband signal. Beacon 606 can continue to output the broadcast until another device receives and responds to the broadcast.

The user 602 interacts with the user interface of the robot 604, which can transmit the radio signal to the robot 604 and receive the radio signal from the robot 604, and the user interface of the user device 510 (shown in FIG. 5). Can communicate with the robot 604. The user 602 can interact with the user interface of the robot 604 and the user interface of the user device 510 to request (710) the robot 604 to enter the pairing mode. During the pairing mode, the robot 604 can identify the broadcast from the beacon 606. The robot 604 in the pairing mode can receive (712) a broadcast on a predetermined address that can be stored in the memory of the robot 604 during the manufacturing stage of the robot 604. In some cases, the robot 604 can enter pairing mode before the beacon 606 outputs a broadcast (708). Therefore, in pairing mode, the robot 604 can listen for broadcasts on a given address.

After the robot 604 enters pairing mode and the beacon 606 outputs a broadcast (708), the robot 604 is capable of receiving the broadcast (712) and also the beacon address (714). is there. When the robot 604 receives the beacon address (714), the robot 604 can transmit the robot address (716). The robot 604 can transmit the robot address for the robot 604 to the beacon 606 (716) in response to the broadcast and the reception of the beacon address (712, 714). In some cases, the robot 604 can transmit (716) the robot address over a predetermined address. In some embodiments, the robot 604 can transmit (716) the robot address to the beacon address.

The beacon 606 can listen for the transmission of the address on the predetermined address after outputting the broadcast of the beacon address (708). In some cases, the beacon 606 can listen for address transmission on the beacon address. Therefore, when the robot 604 transmits the robot address (716), the beacon 606 can receive the robot address (718).

Process 700 can proceed with a step that is part of a distance checking step (eg, distance checking step 620) that ensures that the robot 604 is within the pairing distance from the beacon 606. The robot 604 determines (720) whether the distance between the robot 604 and the beacon 606 is shorter than the pairing distance. The robot 604 can receive a message from the beacon 606 to determine the distance between the robot 604 and the beacon 606. Beacon 606 can output a message using a radio signal such as a wideband signal or an ultrawideband signal. The robot 604 can use the message to determine the distance between the robot 604 and the beacon 606, and then determine (720) whether the distance is shorter than the pairing distance. The robot 604 can determine the distance using, for example, the Time-of-Flight of the radio signal.

If the distance is longer than the pairing distance (722), the robot 604 then outputs a request (724) to move the beacon 606 towards the robot 604 or move the robot 604 towards the beacon 606. Robot 604 can output a request (724) via the user interface. The user interface receives the request and indicates that the user needs to relocate (726) the beacon 606 or robot 604 so that the distance between the robot 604 and the beacon 606 is within the pairing distance. be able to.

As shown as an example in FIG. 8, the robot 604 can output (724) a request to move the robot 604 toward the beacon 606. At the first position 800, the robot 604 is located on the turf 805, which is longer than the pairing distance 810 of the beacon 606. The user interface of the robot 604 or the user interface of the user device 510 (not shown in FIG. 8) can indicate that the user 602 needs to move the robot 604 towards the beacon 606. The user 602 can move the robot 604 to a second position 820 within the pairing distance 810 of the beacon 606.

Referring to FIG. 7 again, after the user 602 rearranges the beacon 606 (726), the user 602 can confirm that the beacon 606 has been rearranged. Beacon 606 can receive user confirmation instructions. For example, the robot 604 can receive the confirmation and then send the user confirmation instruction to the beacon 606. In some cases, Beacon 606 calculates the distance from Robot 604 using the Time-of-Flight of the radio signal transmitted between Robot 604 and Beacon 606, and Beacon 606 is paired with Robot 604. It can automatically detect that it is placed within a distance. In either case, after the user rearranges the beacon 606 (726), the beacon 606 can output a message (728) indicating the distance to the robot 604. The robot 604 can receive the message (730), determine the distance between the robot 604 and the beacon 606, and then determine if the distance is within the pairing distance (720).

If the robot 604 determines (732) that the distance is shorter than the pairing distance in the determination step (720), the process 700 does not proceed to the output (724) of the request for moving the beacon 606 as described above. Rather, process 700 goes directly to pairing approval step 622.

With reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 9, process 900 includes a pairing approval step 622, an address registration step 630, an address transmission step 635 and a step that can be part of a step between them. The process 900 includes a user process 902 performed by the user 602, a robot process 904 performed by the robot 604, and a beacon process 906 performed by the beacon 606. The process 900 can be started after the passcode approval step 614 is completed, the distance confirmation step 620 is completed, and / or the process 700 is completed.

The robot 604 outputs (908) a request for approval by the user 602. The user 602 then inputs the approval (910) using the user interface. As shown in FIG. 10, the user device 510 can display the approval message 1000 corresponding to the approval request. The approval message 1000 is a beacon 606 (ie, address "N") to a set of existing beacons 1005 in which the user 602 is already paired with the robot 604 (having addresses "a", "b" and "c"). Requests to enter (910) additional approvals for beacons). Approval means that the beacon 606 is included in a plurality of beacons (eg, beacons included in set 1005) with which the robot 604 should communicate. The user 602 can input the approval received by the robot 604 by pressing the approval button 1010. The user 602 can refuse the pairing of the beacon 606 with the robot 604 by pressing the reject button 1015.

The robot 604 determines (912) whether the user 602 has entered the approval. When the robot 604 determines (914) that the user 602 refuses pairing, the process 900 ends. At this point, processing 600 can be performed from the first, eg, beacon activation step 608, to pair a beacon with the robot 604.

When the robot 604 determines (916) that the user 602 approves the pairing, the process 900 proceeds to a step of registering the address in the robot 604 and the beacon 606 (for example, the address registration step 630). The robot 604 sends a confirmation (918) to the beacon 606. Confirmation can indicate that the beacon 606 has been paired with the robot 604. The robot 604 then registers (920) the beacon 606 as paired with the robot 604. In response to the confirmation transmitted (918) from the robot 604, the beacon 606 registers the robot 604 as paired with the beacon 606 (922). During the registration process (918, 920), the robot 604 stores the beacon address associated with the beacon 606, and the beacon 606 stores the robot address associated with the robot 604.

The example shown in FIG. 11 conceptually shows the address stored after the beacon 606 and the robot 604 have registered (920, 922) the pairing between the beacon 606 and the robot 604. The robot 604 and the other beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c (collectively referred to as the other beacons 1100) have been previously paired using, for example, the pairing process described herein. The other beacon 1100 constitutes an existing set of beacons to which the beacon 606 is added. Therefore, the robot 604 stores other beacon addresses 1105a, 1105b, and 1105c in its memory, and the other beacon 1100 stores the robot address 1110 in those memories. While registering (920) the beacon 606 as being paired with the robot 604, the robot 604 has in its memory the beacon address 1115 associated with the beacon 606 (eg, the beacon address "N" in FIG. 11). ) Can be saved. While registering (922) the robot 604 as being paired with the beacon 606, the beacon 606 can store the robot address 1110 in its memory.

After registering the pairing between the beacon 606 and the robot 604 (920, 922), the robot 604 may send the beacon address 1115 and the robot address 1110 to the server (924) for storage associated with the user account. it can. In some cases, the user account can be identified using the robot address 1110. The address stored on the server can provide a backup of the pairing between the robot 604 and the beacon paired with the robot 604.

After registering the beacon address 1115 and the robot address 604 as described herein with respect to FIGS. 6 and 9, the robot 604 will have another beacon robot before pairing between the robot 604 and the beacon 606. It is possible to proceed to the determination (632) of whether or not the device was paired with the 604. In some examples, the robot 604 determines that it has not previously been paired with a beacon (638) (eg, the robot 604 has no other beacon addresses stored in memory). The process 900 then proceeds to the process described with respect to FIG. 6 for determining whether to add the additional beacon to the paired beacon set composed of beacons 606 (632). Therefore, the example shown in FIG. 11 shows other beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c constituting an existing beacon pair paired with the robot 604, but in some embodiments, the robot. The 604 may not be paired with any beacon.

However, in some cases, the robot 604 may already be paired with an existing set of beacons composed of other beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c. When the robot 604 determines (634) that another beacon address (for example, the beacon addresses 1105a, 1105b, 1105c in FIG. 11) is stored in the memory of the robot 604, the process 900 performs an address transmission step (for example, an address). The transmission step 636) can be advanced. Robot 604 transmits (932) the beacon address 1115 to another beacon 1100. The other beacon 1100 can register the beacon 606 as being paired with the robot 604 and the other beacon 1100 by storing the beacon address 1115. The robot 604 also transmits (934) other beacon addresses 1105a, 1105b, and 1105c to the beacon 606. By receiving the other beacon addresses 1105a, 1105b, and 1105c and storing them in the memory (936), the beacon 606 can register the other beacon 1100 as being paired with the robot 604 and the beacon 606. By storing these addresses, the robot 604, the other beacons 1100 and the beacon 606 associate the beacon address 1115 with the other beacon addresses 1105a, 1105b, 1105c, thereby the robot 604 and the beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c and 606. Register the pairing with each of the.

As shown in FIG. 11, each of the other beacons 1100 already has other beacon addresses 1105a, 1105b, 1105c and a robot address 1110 stored in the memory. In some cases, the beacon addresses 1105a, 1105b, 1105c may be transmitted to each of the other beacons 1100 when the other beacon 1100 is paired with the robot 604. In some embodiments, the other beacon 1100 is manufactured as a pair paired with the robot 604. In the manufacturing stage of the other beacons 1100 and robot 604, the beacons 1100 and robot 604 are pre-programmed to include other beacon addresses 1105a, 1105b, 1105c and robot address 1110.

After transmitting the addresses to each of the beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c and 606 included in the beacon set paired with the robot 604, the process 900 is completed and the determination step 640 described with reference to FIG. 6 is executed. It is possible to determine whether to add an additional beacon to the beacon set.

As described with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7, the beacon and robot address exchange step 618 and process 700 steps can occur after the passcode approval step 614. With reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 12, process 1200 includes a step that may be part of passcode approval step 614. Process 1200 includes user process 1202 performed by user 602, robot process 1204 performed by robot 604, and beacon process 1206 performed by beacon 606. Process 1200, for example, after the beacon 606 determines (612) that the beacon 606 already has a robot address stored in memory, indicating that the beacon 606 was previously paired with a previous robot. You can start. The beacon 606 can indicate to the robot 604 that a beacon passcode is required to pair the beacon 606 with the robot 604. The beacon passcode may have been selected during the initial pairing process between the beacon 606 and the previous robot.

In some embodiments, the beacon 606 determines that it has been paired with a previous robot by comparing the robot address stored in memory with the robot address stored in another nearby beacon. be able to. The beacon 606 can determine the robot to communicate with by using the beacon address stored in the memory of the beacon 606. The beacon 606 then compares the stored robot address with the robot address stored in another nearby beacon, and if the robot addresses are different, the beacon 606 indicates to the robot that a beacon passcode is required. be able to.

After the robot 604 receives an instruction that the beacon 606 has been previously paired, the robot 604 can output (1208) a passcode request to be entered by the user 602 using the user interface. User 602 can enter the passcode (1210) in response to the request. After receiving the instruction that the beacon 606 has been paired, the robot 604 also outputs (1212) a request for a beacon passcode stored in the memory of the beacon 606. The beacon then transmits a beacon passcode (1214).

As shown in FIG. 13, when the user device 510 receives the request output (1208) by the robot 604, the beacon 606 has been previously paired and the user 602 needs to enter the passcode 1302. Can be displayed at prompt 1300, indicating to user 602.

In order to proceed with the pairing of the beacon 606 and the robot 604, the user 602 needs to input the passcode 1302 that matches the beacon passcode stored in the beacon 606. The beacon passcode can be selected during the previous pairing process or the initial setup of the system. For example, during the pairing approval step 622 in the previous pairing, the user device 510 can prompt the user 602 to enter a beacon passcode stored in the memory of the beacon 606. Although Beacon 606 has been described as storing the passcode in memory, Robot 604 can also store the passcode in memory.

In some embodiments, the passcode may be a predetermined passcode associated with a previous robot that was paired with Beacon 606. The given passcode is in the user manual of the previous robot to allow the user 602 to enter the passcode if the user attempts to pair the beacon associated with the previous robot with another robot. It may be included. The passcode is transmitted to the beacons that were paired with the previous robot and stored in their memory. In order to pair those beacons that were paired with the previous robot with another robot such as robot 604, the user 602 needs to enter the passcode associated with the previous robot.

After receiving both the passcode and the beacon passcode input by the user (1210), the robot 604 can compare the passcodes and determine whether they match (1216). If the robot 604 determines (1218) that the passcodes match, the pairing step can proceed with the beacon and robot address exchange step (eg, beacon and robot address exchange step 618).

If the robot 604 determines that the passcodes do not match (1220), the robot 604 outputs a passcode request again (1208, 1212) so that the user 602 can try to enter the correct passcode again. can do. In some cases, the robot 604 outputs passcode requests only a predetermined number of times (1208, 1212) so that the user 602 can only attempt to enter the passcode a finite number of times. When the robot 604 outputs a passcode request a predetermined number of times (1208, 1212), the beacon 606 can receive an instruction from the robot 604 that the user 602 has failed to input the passcode. The Beacon 606 can then be locked so that it will not be paired again until the Beacon 606 is factory reset or some time has passed, allowing the thief to try an excessive amount of passcodes in a row. Can be prevented. The factory reset is triggered, for example, by remote communication with the server beacon 606 (robot 604 or user device 510 that acts as an intermediary between the server and beacon 606), or by a manual beacon reset under the control of the beacon itself. With reference to the example shown in FIG. 14, after the pairing and communication steps described herein with respect to FIGS. 6 to 13, the user 602 performs the boundary teaching steps described herein to perform the sod 805. The boundary of the robot 604 can be taught. The lawn mowing system 1400 includes a robot 604, other beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c and beacon 606. After the boundary teaching process is completed, the lawn mowing system 1400 is ready to perform navigation and lawn mowing operations. The control device of the robot 604 can execute an instruction stored in the memory of the robot 604 and receive a broadband signal or an ultra-wideband signal including the beacon addresses of the beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c and 606. If the robot 604 is paired with beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c and 606 using the pairing steps described herein, the controller then performs instructions to perform a broadband signal or ultra-wideband. It can be determined that each of the signals is associated with each of the beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c and 606. The controller can then execute the instructions to locate the robot 604 based on the received wideband or ultra-wideband signal. Therefore, while the robot 604 is navigating on the lawn 805 and mowing the lawn 805, the control device can determine the position of the robot within the sod 805.

During the lawn mowing operation of the robot 604, the user 602 can monitor the state of the beacon paired with the robot 604 through the device 510 and identify when an error occurs. Referring to the flowchart shown in FIG. 15, the process 1500 generated during the lawn mowing operation of the robot 604 includes the user process 1502 performed by the user 602, the robot process 1504 performed by the robot 604, and the beacon process 1506 performed by the beacon 606. including. The other beacon 1100 also performs the same steps as those performed by the beacon 606.

Robot 604 receives (1508) a broadband or ultra-wideband signal from Beacon 606 and another Beacon 1100 to traverse the turf 805. Robot 604 can detect signals from beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c and 606 and uses broadband or ultra-wideband signals to enable navigation on turf 805. For example, the robot 604 can determine the position of the robot 604 during navigation by specifying the position using these signals as described in the present specification. When the beacon 606 and the other beacons 1100 transmit these signals, each beacon can transmit a battery status signal (1510) that can indicate the remaining amount of power available.

After the robot 604 receives the signal (1508), the robot 604 allows the user 602 to receive state update information (1512) regarding the battery status of the beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c and 606 in the user interface. Interface data can be sent. As shown in FIG. 16, the user device 510 can display the battery levels 1600a, 1600b, 1600c and 1600d (collectively referred to as battery level 1600) of the beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c and 606, respectively.

The robot 604 can further determine (1514) whether it has received signals from beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c, and 606, respectively, using the received (1508) signal. For example, the robot 604 can check whether the number of received signals matches the number of beacons paired with the robot 604.

When the robot 604 determines (1516) that signals have been received from each of the beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c and 606, the robot 604 then determines whether any of the battery levels 1600 is below the battery level threshold (1518). ). The battery level threshold corresponds to a few percent (eg, 5% to 15%) of the maximum battery level, which can indicate that the battery of one of the beacons is approaching empty.

The robot 604 can determine (1520) that one of the battery levels 1600 is below the battery level threshold, indicating that the battery of one of the plurality of beacons needs to be replaced. .. In some cases, during signal determination step 1514, robot 604 has not received signals from beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c and 606, respectively, and user 602 has all beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c and 606. It can be determined (1522) that it is necessary to confirm that the robot can communicate with the robot 604. The robot 604 can indicate to the user 602 which beacon of the beacons 1100a, 1100b, 1100c and 606 needs attention.

These determinations (1520, 1522) identify errors associated with the beacon that the user 602 can address. The robot 604 can output an error instruction (1524), for example, by transmitting user interface data that displays a prompt explaining the error. As shown in FIG. 16, in some examples, the user device 510 may receive user interface data and display information about the error. The user device 510 can display a caution icon 1605 that the battery level 1600d of the beacon 606 is below the battery level threshold. As shown in FIG. 17, the user device 510 can also display prompt 1700 indicating that one of the battery levels 1600 is below the battery level threshold. The user device 510 can display a map 1705 with a caution icon 1710 indicating the position of the beacon 606 with a low battery level 1600d.

User 602 can address the cause of the error (1526) by following the instructions at Prompt 1700. User 602 can, for example, replace the battery of beacon 606 or replace beacon 606 with a new beacon. If the battery of the beacon 606 is replaced, the beacon 606 can be the same beacon as before the error was identified by the robot 604. Beacon 606 can also be a new beacon used by user 602 to replace the old beacon 606. After the user 602 addresses the cause of the error, the beacon 606 outputs a broadcast (1528) of the beacon address of the beacon 606 on a predetermined address.

After addressing the cause of the error (1526), the user 602 can press the confirmation button 1715 to indicate that the cause of the error has been addressed or is being addressed. The robot 604 then receives an instruction that the error has been addressed or is being addressed. In response to this instruction, the robot 604 can listen to a predetermined address that is not unique to any beacon.

When the robot 604 detects a predetermined address, it can receive a broadcast from the beacon 606 on the predetermined address (1532) and then receive a new beacon address of the beacon 606 (1534). The robot 604 can determine (1536) whether the new beacon address is the same as the beacon address stored in the memory of the robot 604 before the error is addressed (1526) by the user 602.

The robot 604 can determine (1538) that the new beacon address is not the same as the stored beacon address, for example because the beacon 606 has been replaced with a new beacon. The robot 604 can then transmit the robot address (1540), and the beacon 606, which is a new beacon 606 different from the beacon 606 that experienced the error, can receive the robot address (1541). In response to receiving the robot address, the beacon 606 can output a message (1542) to the robot 604.

In some cases, the robot 604 determines that the new beacon address is the same as the stored beacon address (1543). Therefore, since the beacon 606 and the robot 604 are already paired, the robot 604 does not need to transmit the robot address (1540), and the beacon 606 can simply output a message to the robot 604 (1542). Upon receiving the message (1544), the robot 604 can determine the distance between the robot 604 and the beacon 606 (1545).

Based on the distance between the robot 604 and the beacon 606, the robot 604 determines whether the beacon 606 is located at the same position where the beacon 606 was placed before the user 602 addressed the error (1526). Judgment (1546) can be made. If more information is needed to determine if the new beacon 606 is located at the location of the old beacon, the other beacons 1110a, 1110b, 1110c included in the beacon set determine the distance to the new beacon 606. , The newly determined distance can be compared to the distance to the previous old beacon. The robot 604 can determine (1548) that the beacon 606 is located at the same location where the beacon 606 was previously located. In this case, if the robot 604 determines that the new beacon address is different from the stored beacon address (1538), the robot 604 can simply update the stored beacon address to the new beacon address. The robot 604 can also instruct the beacon 606 to save the robot address, completing the pairing between the robot 604 and the beacon 606. If it is determined (1543) that the new beacon address is the same as the stored beacon address, the robot 604 updates the stored beacon address or instructs the beacon to store the robot address. You don't have to. The robot 604 can notify the user 602 (1551) that the error has been successfully dealt with and the beacon 606 and the robot 604 have been successfully paired.

In some cases, the robot 604 determines that the beacon 606 is not located in the same location as the beacon 606 was previously located (1552). In some cases, if the other beacons 1110a, 1110b, 1110c have not been moved and the beacon 606 is capable of communicating with at least three other beacons, the robot 604 will from the beacon 606 to the other beacons 1110a, 1110b, By measuring the distance to 1110c, the new position of beacon 606 can be automatically determined. Robot 604 can determine if a plurality of beacons are being moved, for example, based on the goodness of fit of position estimation (eg, least squares residuals) or other suitable statistical metric.

In some cases, the robot 604 can notify the user 602 that additional training is required for the robot 604 to locate using the beacon 606. Upon receiving the notification that additional training is needed (1554), the user 602 performs additional training (1556) to allow the robot 604 to locate and navigate using the beacon 606. Can be done. Additional training can be the boundary teaching process described herein. The user 602 can train the robot 604 to utilize the beacon 606 by manipulating the robot 604 along the boundary of the turf 805. After the user 602 successfully performs additional training (1556), the robot 604 can notify the user 602 of the success (1551). After notifying user 602 of success (1551), robot 604 can wait for further instructions from user 602. For example, the user 602 can instruct the robot 604 to continue mowing the lawn 805 and restart the process 1500.

The examples described herein can be implemented in various ways without going beyond the scope of the specification. In the examples described herein, one robot (eg, robot 604) is paired with a beacon (eg, beacon 606). In some embodiments, each beacon can be configured to be paired with one or more mobile lawn mower robots. Therefore, a plurality of robots can easily perform the lawn mowing work on the same lawn.

Although it has been described that one robot is paired with one set of beacons, the robot can also be configured to be paired with a set of multiple beacons. In such cases, the robot can maintain a plurality of different turf. Each turf may contain different sets of beacons with different maps associated with it. The user may select one map to be used during the lawn mowing operation from the plurality of stored maps so that the user can select from a set of a plurality of beacons paired with the robot.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, the robot 300 may include a user interface capable of receiving user interface data from the control device 308 and displaying information about the operation of the robot 300. Thus, the user 602 can view information on the user interface of the robot 604 in addition to or on behalf of the use of the user device 510 and can interact with the user interface to control the operation of the robot 604. .. For example, the user 602 can approve the pairing between the robot 604 and the beacon 606 using the user interface during the pairing process described herein.

As described in some embodiments described herein, a set of beacons may include three or more beacons. In some cases, a set of beacons may contain less than three beacons. The robot can navigate using signals emitted by a set of beacons containing less than three beacons, and also performs an estimated navigation process using the built-in motion sensor to improve the accuracy of position estimation. be able to.

The robots described herein are, at least in part, to perform or control their operation on one or more data processing devices such as programmable processors, computers, multiple computers and / or programmable logic components. It can be controlled using one or more computer program products, such as one or more computer programs explicitly implemented in one or more information media, such as one or more non-temporary machine-readable storage media.

A computer program can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and is a stand-alone program or module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. Can be deployed in any form, including.

The operations related to the control of the robot described herein can be performed on one or more programmable processors that execute one or more computer programs to perform the functions described herein. The control of all or part of the robot described in the present specification can be carried out by using a dedicated logic circuit such as FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and / or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

Suitable processors for running computer programs include, for example, both general and dedicated microprocessors, and one or more processors of digital computers of all kinds. Generally, the processor receives instructions and data from read-only storage, random access storage, or both. Computer elements include one or more processors for executing instructions and one or more storage devices for storing instructions and data. In general, a computer operates to include, or receive, transmit, or both of one or more machine-readable storage media such as magnetic, magneto-optical discs, or collective substrates for data storage such as optical discs. Can be combined. Machine-readable storage media suitable for executing computer program instructions and data include, for example, semiconductor storage area devices such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash storage area devices, magnetic disks such as built-in hard disks and removable disks, magnetic optical disks, and Includes all forms of non-volatile storage, including CD-ROMs and DVD-ROM discs.

The elements of the different embodiments described herein can be combined to form other embodiments not specifically described above. From the structures described herein, elements can be excluded without adversely affecting behavior. In addition, various independent elements can be combined into one or more single elements to perform the functions described herein.

Claims (23)

A method performed by a mobile lawn mower robot
The pairing comprises pairing the beacon with the mobile lawn mower robot, the pairing with the mobile lawn mower robot and the beacon so that the mobile lawn mower robot recognizes only the signal from the paired beacon. Is to establish a relationship between
Pairing the beacon with the mobile lawn mower robot
The distance between the beacon and the mobile lawn mowing robot is determined.
Based on the comparison between the determined distance and the pairing distance, it is confirmed that the beacon is within the pairing distance from the mobile lawnmower robot.
Including pairing the beacon with the mobile lawn mowing robot after confirming that the beacon is within the pairing distance from the mobile lawn mowing robot.
After pairing,
Detecting a wideband signal or ultra-wideband signal from the beacon,
Including enabling navigation in a region using the broadband signal or the ultra-wideband signal.
The method performed by a mobile lawn mower robot. Through the user interface, a request for confirmation that the beacon is included in a plurality of beacons with which the mobile lawnmower robot should communicate is output to the user .
In response to the request, further comprising receiving confirmation from the user that the beacon is included in a plurality of beacons with which the mobile lawnmower robot should communicate.
Pairing is performed after receiving the confirmation,
The method executed by the mobile lawn mower robot according to claim 1. Pairing the beacon with the mobile lawn mower robot
Prior to determining the distance between the beacon and the mobile lawn mower robot, a broadcast from the beacon containing the beacon address of the beacon and a predetermined address not specific to any beacon is received.
In response to the broadcast, the robot address of the mobile lawn mowing robot is transmitted to the beacon at the beacon address on a predetermined address .
Further comprising receiving from the beacon a message used to determine the distance between the beacon and the mobile lawn mower robot.
The method executed by the mobile lawn mower robot according to claim 1. Pairing the beacon with the mobile lawn mower robot
Further comprising associating the beacon address with one or more other addresses of one or more other beacons paired with the mobile lawn mower robot and storing it in the memory of the mobile lawn mower robot.
The method executed by the mobile lawn mower robot according to claim 3. Pairing the beacon with the mobile lawn mower robot
Further comprising outputting a request to move the beacon towards the mobile lawn mower robot, the message from the beacon is received after the output of a request to move the beacon.
The method executed by the mobile lawn mower robot according to claim 3. After pairing,
Send the beacon address to one or more other beacons
The beacon further comprises transmitting one or more other addresses of the one or more other beacons.
The method executed by the mobile lawn mower robot according to claim 3. Further including sending the beacon address and the robot address to the server for storage associated with the user account.
The method executed by the mobile lawn mower robot according to claim 3. Identify the error associated with the beacon and
Further including outputting the instruction of the error via the user interface,
The method executed by the mobile lawn mower robot according to claim 3. The user interface includes a function for indicating that the error has been dealt with by exchanging the beacon.
The method performed by the mobile lawn mower robot
Further comprising causing the mobile lawn mower robot to listen to the predetermined address that is not specific to any beacon in response to the instruction that the error has been addressed by exchanging the beacon.
The method performed by the mobile lawn mower robot according to claim 8. Receive the passcode from the beacon and
Further comprising comparing the passcode with the passcode associated with the mobile lawn mower robot.
The pairing is performed after confirming that the passcode from the beacon matches the passcode associated with the mobile lawn mower robot.
The method executed by the mobile lawn mower robot according to claim 1. A method performed by a beacon to pair it with a mobile lawn mower robot.
A broadcast containing the beacon address of the beacon and a predetermined address not unique to any beacon is output to the mobile lawn mowing robot.
After the output of the broadcast , the robot address of the mobile lawn mowing robot is received from the mobile lawn mowing robot.
A message used to determine the distance between the beacon and the mobile lawn mowing robot is output from the beacon to the mobile lawn mowing robot at the robot address.
Upon receiving confirmation from the mobile lawn mowing robot that the beacon has been paired with the mobile lawn mowing robot,
In response to the confirmation, including registering the beacon as paired with the mobile lawn mower robot.
The method performed by the beacon. The registration comprises storing the robot address of the mobile lawn mower robot in the memory of the beacon.
The method performed by the beacon according to claim 11. Receives one or more other addresses of one or more other beacons paired with the mobile lawn mower robot
Further comprising storing the one or more other addresses in the memory of the beacon.
The method performed by the beacon according to claim 11. The one or more other addresses are received from the mobile lawn mower robot after the registration.
The method performed by the beacon according to claim 13. Multiple beacons for emitting wideband or ultrawideband signals, each with a different associated beacon address and robot address, stored in memory.
A mobile lawn mower robot associated with the robot address, which is paired with each of the plurality of beacons, and the pairing recognizes only the signal from the beacon paired with the mobile lawn mower robot. To establish a relationship between the mobile lawnmower robot and the beacon.
A memory that stores the executable instructions and the different and associated beacon addresses of each of the plurality of beacons.
Execute the above instructions
Receives a wideband or ultra-wideband signal representing a beacon address and
Based on the received wideband signal or the beacon address represented by the ultrawideband signal, the wideband signal or the ultrawideband signal is paired with one of the plurality of beacons paired with the mobile lawnmower robot. Determine if it is associated and
One or more processing devices for performing a step including locating the mobile lawn mower robot based on the received broadband signal or ultra-wideband signal.
With mobile lawn mowing robots, including
Lawn mowing system, including. The step is
Including adding additional beacons to the plurality of beacons paired with the mobile lawn mower robot.
The lawn mowing system according to claim 15. The mobile lawn mowing robot is configured to detect the broadband signal or the ultra-wideband signal and enable navigation in a region using the broadband signal or the ultra-wideband signal.
The step for adding the expansion beacon to the plurality of beacons is
Wherein from additional beacon, and additional beacon address of the additional beacons with a predetermined address that is not specific to any beacon received the including broadcast,
In response to the broadcast, the robot address is transmitted to the expansion beacon at the expansion beacon address on a predetermined address .
A message used for determining the distance between the expansion beacon and the mobile lawn mowing robot is received from the expansion beacon.
Compare the distance with a given distance and
Including registering the extension beacon as paired with the mobile lawn mowing robot when the distance is smaller than the predetermined distance.
The lawn mowing system according to claim 16. The additional beacon
A memory to store executable instructions and
Execute the above instructions
The broadcast is output to the mobile lawn mowing robot,
Upon receiving the robot address from the mobile lawn mowing robot,
The message is output to the mobile lawn mowing robot at the robot address,
Upon receiving confirmation from the mobile lawn mowing robot that the additional beacon has been paired with the mobile lawn mowing robot,
One or more processing devices for performing a process including registering the additional beacon as paired with the mobile lawn mower robot in response to the confirmation.
including,
The lawn mowing system according to claim 17. The step for adding the expansion beacon to the plurality of beacons is
Output a request for confirmation that the additional beacon is included in a plurality of beacons with which the mobile lawnmower robot should communicate.
In response to the request, the extension beacon comprises receiving confirmation that the mobile lawn mower robot is included in the plurality of beacons with which it should communicate.
The registration is performed after receipt of the confirmation
The registration comprises associating an additional beacon address with each of the different associated beacon addresses and storing it in the memory of the mobile lawn mower robot.
The lawn mowing system according to claim 17. The step for adding the expansion beacon to the plurality of beacons is
The message from the extension beacon is received after the output of the request to move the extension beacon, comprising outputting a request to move the extension beacon towards the mobile lawn mowing robot.
The lawn mowing system according to claim 17. The step for adding the expansion beacon to the plurality of beacons is
After the registration, the additional beacon address is transmitted to the plurality of beacons.
Following the registration, the extension beacon comprises transmitting the different and associated beacon addresses.
The lawn mowing system according to claim 17. The step for adding the additional beacon to the plurality of beacons paired with the mobile lawn mowing robot is
Identify the error associated with the beacon and
Further including outputting the instruction of the error via the user interface.
The user interface includes a function for indicating that the error has been dealt with by exchanging the beacon.
The step further comprises causing the mobile lawnmower robot to listen to the predetermined address, which is not specific to any beacon, in response to an instruction that the error has been addressed by exchanging the beacon.
The lawn mowing system according to claim 17. The step for adding the additional beacon to the plurality of beacons paired with the mobile lawn mowing robot is
Further including sending the additional beacon address and the robot address to the server for storage associated with the user account.
The lawn mowing system according to claim 17.